Ichi
by Kikenbutsu
Summary: SeiyaUsa. It's been a year since the end of StarS, and the scouts have continued on with their lives. When the world is faced with a new enemy, the Starlights return to protect their friends. Try as they might, Fighter and Moon are swept off their feet.


' ' THOUGHTS

' ' **THOUGHTS**

" " **SPEECH**

_italics _**FLASHBACKS**

**-- TIME PROGRESSION OR SCENE CHANGE**

**Ichi**

_One_

Nowadays, Tsukino Usagi's small table that sat in the middle of her bedroom; that same bedroom that had harbored many fond memories and important people throughout her life; had gone through some major changes.

Nothing too drastic; completed homework did not sit on a neat pile on it; a box of unopened sweets were no where to be found; and yes, unfortunately it was still a little bit off colored from all the bottles of nail polish Usagi had clumsily spilled on it over the years.

What was so different about her table now? The pictures. Usagi had one or two pictures littered here and there before, but now, after loosing all her friends in the battle against Galaxia and regaining them, Usagi viewed her life, her time here on this _rural_ planet differently. The tabletop not only held those one or two pictures of Mamoru and Chibi-Usa but all her friends.

"What do you think about this one, Luna-chan?" Her voice held a sing-song effect, teasing her feline friend into a heart blush that spread deeply over the cat's features. The photo that Usagi held in her hands was one of Luna and Artemis, the sun was setting gradually over the ocean and the two cats had been sitting side by side at the pier on the wooden railing on the boardwalk, their backs to the camera. Their tails had been looped within the other's own, creating a spiral effect of black and white fur.

"Usagi-chan!" Luna exclaimed from the bed, "I can't believe you followed us that day! I knew it. And I looked around every chance I could get, and the only thing that I saw was and old woman— you used the Luna Pen. How many times do I have to tell you Usagi that is for sailor business?"

Usagi laughed, sheepishly scratching the back of her head, quickly thinking of a pliable excuse, "Well Luna-chan, it was right after Galaxia and Chaos," Usagi's clutched her hand to her chest before thrusting a fist into the air, "and I vowed as a Sailor Scout to protect those I love! Pretty Soldier in a sailor suit, I fight for love and justice, and in the name of the moon, I punish those who irritate my kitty cat!"

And with that, the overly dramatic girl struck a pose. Luna stared at Usagi incredulously, who continued to hold the pose, and the guardian cat shook her head, whispering to herself, "I knew Minako-chan would rub off on you soon…"

'It's nice… everything being so peaceful. I don't even remember the last time I had to become Sailor Moon.' Usagi smiled down at her friend, Luna when she nuzzled her head into Usagi's lap.

The time had flown by, early afternoon is when Usagi had started, sorting old picture she had stowed away from years now. She had done major overhaul at the store, picking up about thirty picture frames, her and Luna had been tucked away inside of her room, picking the thirty picture that would merited a frame around Usagi's room.

Luna had fallen asleep almost ten minutes ago and left Usagi the most difficult decision of picking the last photo that she'd frame. Her fall fingers brushed the pink carpeting of her floors as she eased herself downwards from off of the bed in push up position. Usagi wanted to make sure she exhausted every single option before picking this last, crucial picture. She cherished her friends more than ever, and wanted to be surrounded by them even while she slept.

It was habit of Usagi's to put pictures in boxed and push them underneath her bed, today already she'd found three photo albums full of baby pictures of her and Shingo. She grunted as she reached deep underneath her bed, unable to see anything in the dark crevice of her bedroom. Her fingers brushed something hard.

'Ah-hah!' She thought to herself, one last box that she hadn't noticed. She pulled it from underneath the bed and sat with it in-between her legs; a fine sheen of dust covered the container, not nearly as much as what the baby pictures held, but certainly these weren't recent.

"I don't remember this…" Usagi breathed out placing her fingers lightly on the sides of the container, and pulling the lid away. Something glimmered as it hit the light, and she had to shield her unprepared eyes for a moment while she adjusted her vision. Large blue oculars landed on the root of the shine.

A small pink bear keychain, it's large, black plastic eyes had caught the lamp of her bedroom and that is what had flickered. A small smile snuck onto her lips as her fingers brushed over it, picking it up and sitting it inside of her palm.

"Seiya-kun…" She could easily remember now, the day they had spent together, at the park, then to the zoo, the amusement park and finally the nightclub where his Star Seed had almost been stolen from Iron Mouse.

"Seiya!" She exclaimed a bit more loudly clutching the bear to her chest, yet still careful not to wake Luna. She hadn't thought about him for months, how long had it been now since Seiya, Yaten and Taiki? It had to have been at least…

'Itchi.'

One year. Time had gone by without Tsukino Usagi knowing about it, and certainly not consenting. She looped her finger within the wide keychain, and bent her index finger down to keep it from slipping off while she searched the contents of the box. Three Lights Concert ticket stubs, a few articles about them Minako had accidentally left over her house. The second copy of the double print picture Usagi had developed when Minako planned to set herself up as the Three Light's girlfriend.

The picture that Usagi and Seiya had taken when the roller-coaster camera had caught them going down on the high fall. Usagi giggled, she'd never thought that a human being's tonsils could be flashed so openly. This picture proved her wrong.

Usagi laughed at the terrible pictures and mentally thanked Kami that her destiny was not a future down the path of photography. A video tape, of what Usagi could only assume was the infamous cooking show disaster that Taiki and Makoto had planned on, with a bit of unexpected help from Usagi who had had her mind set on making the most exceptional Strawberry Shortcake ever.

The five, wallet sized pictures that Seiya and Usagi had taken inside of the booth, all attached in a column. The first, Usagi and Seiya had been having a raspberry blowing contest, she had won. The second picture, Usagi's finger was poked inside of Seiya's nose and his finger was poking her in her ear. The third picture was of Seiya stealing Usagi's ice cream cone and her almost in tears. The fourth was Seiya giving her ice cream cone back, only to gain a large smile from Usagi.

The last, was a classic, smiling photo of both of them, both of them giving bunny ears behind the other's back.

Usagi stared down at the column of pictures, her eyes filling with tears. They hadn't heard anything from them since they had left last year. She brushed the droplets away with the back of her hand, "This is it!" It didn't fit the frame, it was far too skinny, but Usagi didn't care.

"This is the one I should have chosen…" Usagi's mind drifted momentarily before shaking her head. "I **have** chosen… for the last picture… I mean.." She corrected herself quickly, sadness and confusion tugging at her heart.

"Usagi-chan, that's a really nice keychain! Where did you get it?" Makoto asked her friend when she noticed the bear that her friend had dangling from her book bag. Usagi looked down at the brief-case style bag she had attached the teddy bear to.

"Oh yeah Usagi-chan!" Minako agreed, "That bear is so cute? Did Mamoru get it for you?" Minako nudged her friend in the side. The four, including Ami were now in their second year of high school. Rei was also in her second year, but attended a school, not Tenth High School which the other inner senshi went to.

Usagi hesitated for a moment, should she tell her friends about the gorgeous idol boys that had turned out to be the Sailor Stars? That she had spent the day with Seiya? "I got it from a claw machine…" She trailed off; afraid of giving too much away, in fear she might talk herself into a corner.

"A claw machine? Those things are really hard to maneuver." Ami commented, as the four girls walked towards the Tenth High School early Monday morning, "Did you get that all by yourself Usagi?"

"I—"

"Oh Ami-chan! Of course Usagi didn't get it by herself! You know how klutzy Usagi is! She couldn't anything out of one of those machines!" Minako interjected, waving Ami off.

"Well Minako that's better than you, you can't even look at a meal without burning it. I think you and Usagi are equally as klutzy." Makoto said aloud, almost as if she were talking to herself. Minako's head spun around on her neck quickly, which startled Makoto, who had only seen such reflexes in exorcism movies.

"Did I say that out loud?" Makoto blushed deeply, laughing nervously, "Whoops!"

"MAKOTO!"

Ami shook her head gently as she and Usagi walked in front of the bickering girls, "Well Usa-chan." Ami smiled warmly to her friend, "However you got that keychain, it's very pretty and takes a lot of skill to get one of those things."

"Yes." Usagi nodded gently as they rounded the corner to the Tenth High School, where they met the sounds of screams. A large crowd surrounded the entrance to the school and filled the courtyard almost completely.

"Quick transform!" Yelled Makoto over the yells.

"No wait! That isn't a monster!" Ami outstretched a hand over her friends who had reached for their transformation pens. "It's…it's…"

"IDOLS!" A very plump girl yelled, barreling through the line of girls that once were the Sailor Scouts, almost knocking them to the ground.

"Hey watch it!" Makoto yelled once she had regained her balance and had almost went after the girl had it not been for Usagi who placed a gentle hand on her wrist. "Jeez, people are so rude nowadays." She grumbled under her breath.

"Idols?" Minako breathed out. They had all grown so much in the past year, and after fighting alongside the Starlights, they idol fad hadn't affected them since. Why? Because they admired the strength of Maker, Healer and Fighter, and they knew that no pretty boy idol could ever compare. "Aren't there better high schools in Japan? Why do these idols insist on coming to ours?"

Makoto nodded, picking up the books that the girl had knocked over when she'd rushed between them. "Rei is just going to _love _this. You know it's all a publicity stunt right? Idols coming temporarily to a high school. It just boosts their fan base."

"That's low." Minako added and the four girls began to walk again towards the high school.

"Usagi-chan? Are you feeling alright?" Ami's soft voice drew Usagi out of her thoughts.

"_Odango." _

"Huh, Ami-chan?"Usagi asked her worried girlfriend, she shook her head quickly letting a large smile boom on her face.

"Yes! I'm fine. I'm just depressed because school is starting again." Usagi's demeanor changed within moments, and soon the same girl Ami knew had returned and the air of suspicion had settled.

"Don't worry Usagi, besides if anything, you have Minako-chan to keep you company during make-up tests." Makoto laughed and so did they all, unbeknownst to the evil that lurked around them.

"It's different being back here…" Taiki stated within the boys bathroom. "It's the same but, it's different at the same time. It's hard to know that it's been an entire year and we are no longer the Three Lights."

"Well at least I don't have to wake up early and go to sleep late for some stupid talk show that wants to ask the same tired questions over and over." Yaten said, eye closed, leaning against a far wall in the bathroom. "It was getting really annoying."

"Be nice Yaten." Taiki looked into the mirror. "I wish people didn't still treat us like idols, and recognize us. It makes it pretty hard to inconspicuous."

"I'm always nice. But of course," Yaten's yellow-green eyes snapped over to Seiya who stood staring out of the bathroom mirror, "Not as nice as Seiya was to Usagi. It's hard to be that nice to someone without strings. Yet, somehow, Seiya managed not to penetrate her heart. Or better yet, Usagi managed." He teased.

Seiya hadn't even regarded Yaten's comment as an insult; he hadn't even heard the boy, instead his eyes had landed on the object of their trip to Earth, Tsukino Usagi. She laughed with her friends as they strolled into the courtyard. She looked so happy.

'A warm light… a very warm light.' Seeing her this way made him feel so conflicted. Something inside of him told him that she was happy, and that was all that mattered, and he should be happy for her. Something else inside of him, a fair bit stronger than the other feelings made him feel sad, sad that she was happy without him.

But that wasn't the mission he'd come for, Tsukino Usagi had made her decision regarding him, and he in no way wanted to repeat the hurt that had been plaguing him the last year. The hurt that he had only just gradually been getting over.

"_It seems I've fallen in love with you without meaning to.. I wish I had met you earlier, Odango." _

"_Seiya.." _

"_Aren't I good enough for you..?" _

"Seiya!" Taiki called, Seiya jerked into reality and back to his teammates that stood before him, "I know how you are feeling Seiya, but we can't let your feelings get in the way of our mission. We owe it, not only to ourselves and our princess now… but to our entire planet. Our entire planet that is believing in us."

"So get your head in gear and stop daydreaming." Yaten contributed, offering his friend a smirk.

Seiya nodded, Tsukino Usagi had made her decision and nothing could change that, not even the charms of idol, Kou Seiya. "What's the plan?"

"Usagi-chan, have you heard about the idols! The idols! They're—"

Usagi raised a hand to her giggling classmates to silence them, "This year I have vowed to concentrate on my studies!" She thrust a fist into the air as if in triumph, "I spent so much of last year sleeping and eating.. which is fun! And yummy! But umm.. no more! No more wasting time! Besides." She laughed to herself, "I have Mamo-chan."

"But Usagi-chan, the idols are—"

"Class is starting. Shh!" Usagi whispered, skipping over to her seat in the front of the room and settling back down into it, the small doodle Seiya had drawn in the corner of her desk was still there, and she had to force herself not to turn around and look back at him. But she did, slowly turning her eye for her crystalline eyes to land on that desk. That desk that often held the smiling boy greeting her in the same way he always did, her friend, every morning—

"Good Morning, Odango."

It was as if time slowed at that moment, and the world stopped. The bird stopped chirping, the wind stopped blowing and every single life on the face of the Earth held its breath. Slowly, as if it were an illusion and if she were too eager it would fade away, Usagi turned her head around. Hope filling within her chest, almost bubbling over out of her mouth.

"What are you looking at me like that for? Is there something wrong with my face." It took everything he had not to respond to her the way she was responding to him. 'She's made her decision.' It was like a mantra that he repeated over and over in his mind, calming him from becoming too overly excited.

"Seiya-kun..?" Usagi's mouth stuttered his name, offering it to the air as if it were a question, as if there were any doubts in her mind that this was her friend, Seiya that fought alongside of her against Galaxia, that had believed.

"You look like you've seen a ghost, Odango. Are you feeling sick?" He asked, forcing a smile on his face. After all, he was a pro. It was almost too easy for him to put on a happy face.

"Seiya-kun!" Usagi yelled, it was a name. A name that she couldn't help but repeat. It seemed that every time they were alone together, a name is all she could get out when confronted with her emotions. A name, and that name; was his own. Her arms wrapped around him, pulling him closer to her body, enveloping him in a hug.

He felt the hot tears wet his shirt, and when they had made contact with his skin, it made him shiver, reminding him of how her touch affected him. A white hot flash shot up his spine, spreading goose bumps all of his skin, warming him instantly. The girl clung to his neck, and without realizing it, he had dropped his books and wrapped his arms around her, hugging back.

'Don't get too excited, Seiya. Usagi has made her decision.' He thought to himself. 'I know she has,' he spoke back to himself, 'but I can fantasize right now, while this moment lasts…'

And with that, with almost the entire class looking on, Usagi Tsukino welcomed back her friend, Seiya Kou after one year of absence.

I do not own Sailor Moon or any of these characters, this is fictional work no way tied to the actual storyline of the manga/anime cartoon and I am making no money from the posting or writing of this fan fiction.

I love this pairing, and that was just a little snippet, normally my chapters are 10-15 pages long. Seriously, no joke. This is 7 pages. Please**, please, please review**! There is nothing a like more than a review. Take a second out of your schedule and **review**, it will really make a big difference in how I write!

Seiya-Usagi pairing! The plot thickens along with the story, so be patient! And if anyone is too OOC, let me know, I want to stay as true to the characters as possible.

**PLEASE REVIEW**! Okay bye! Have a lovely day, **thanks for reading**!


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